


A Tangled Web

by mysterioussinkhole



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Canon divergent? Chronology is a bit weird, Don’t worry the dead guy comes back, Language, Spiders, Web!Martin, some body horror
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-14
Updated: 2018-09-14
Packaged: 2019-07-12 00:53:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15984122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mysterioussinkhole/pseuds/mysterioussinkhole
Summary: Case #0170612 Statement of Martin Blackwood about how he is somehow back from the fucking dead.





	A Tangled Web

THE ARCHIVIST: Statement of Martin Blackwood about how he is somehow back from the fucking dead. Statement taken direct from subject by Head Archivist Jonathan Sims, December 6th, 2017. Archival Assistants Tim Stoker, Basira Hussain, and Melanie King also present. Statement begins.

MARTIN: That’s- that’s funny. I can feel you doing that now. I mean, it’s not difficult to tell when you’re being compelled because you can’t stop yourself from talking, but it’s, ah, it’s more tangible now. I know it’s more than just you trying to get something out of me.  
Alright, so where to start. *pause* You already know about the plan to get rid of Elias for good going horribly wrong. You told them, right?

MELANIE: Yeah. Awful failure, Elias murdering you and what not.

MARTIN: Er yeah. So there I was, violently murdered by my eldritch horror boss. Next thing I know I’m waking up. That was...a surprise, to say the least. I felt myself die. But there I was. It took me a couple minutes of gasping and checking that I had all my limbs before I got a sense of where I was. The cracked, old stone up above and the ridiculous amount of dust floating around meant I was in the tunnels under the Archives. You’d think Elias would have a better place to hide his bodies by now.

*Jon gives the tiniest laugh and you can almost feel the others looking at him like he’s insane*

I was at an intersection where the tunnels branch out, fourteen of them, and I was covered in- covered in cobwebs. They were the sort that form a dense film over everything they touch. Most of it was concentrated over my chest where I was...would stabbed be the right word? But it sort of radiated out. There were a few spiders still crawling around; I could feel the little legs of one climbing over my fingers. By the time I’d managed standing (it took a few tries) the full implications of the situation had hit me.  
I was, and then I had not been, and now I was again. I don’t remember anything about being dead. There’s nothing to remember. No Promised Land... All I know is that I had been desperate to escape it. And something had brought me back. I stumbled around a bit trying to find my way out. I hadn’t been too far from the trap door. The Archives were closed when I came back up, dark shadows and old paper everywhere. I figured it would be a good idea to check for any damage I could’ve missed so I went to the bathroom, but what I saw in the mirror was... Oh God, I’m gonna have to show you aren’t I. Alright, this...this is gonna be weird. I saw this.

*a soft flicking noise*  
*following dialogue occurs all at once*

THE ARCHIVIST: JESUS CHRIST MARTIN

TIM: WHAT THE FUCK?! WHAT THE FUCK?! WHAT THE FUCK?!

MELANIE: Oh God...shit, I’m gonna be sick *heavy breathing, hyperventilating*

BASIRA: no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no

*noise continues for a bit before settling down*

THE ARCHIVIST: *clears his throat* For- for the record, Martin has just *pause* opened three more sets of eyes. They are identical to his original pair and they are arranged like a spider’s.

MARTIN: Specifically, ctenizidae. I looked it up.

BASIRA: *a little out of it* That’s nice, Martin.

MARTIN: Would you like me to close them?

TIM: YES.

* a soft flicking noise*

MARTIN: *inhales* So yeah, I saw that. I’m not ashamed to say I got a bit sick. And cried. And cried more because I could feel more than two eyes crying. It wasn’t a good couple of hours. I realized I’d been claimed.

THE ARCHIVIST: By the Web?! Why the Web? You’re part of the Archives, you read statements, you were practically another Archivist. It should have been the Beholding.

MELANIE: It shouldn’t have been ANYTHING, because he shouldn’t have died.

TIM: And whose fault is that?!

BASIRA: Oh, don’t start, Tim!

MARTIN: *interrupting* I was asking myself the same question. It took me awhile to figure it out. The common thread in all the other stories of avatars *small incredulous noise* uh, it’s the idea that they called out to something. For protection. For deliverance. For power. I- I didn’t want protection from the Eye because it was what was killing me. I needed help and- Jon, you heard the tape, right? You know why the Web and I work well together. I make plans, I’m good at trapping things, handling threats. It gives me this sort of deep feeling that I’m doing something right. Like I’m aligned, in sync with a part of me that’s important. And to die in the middle of a trap that I planned... of course it was the Web.

THE ARCHIVIST: That still doesn’t explain why we haven’t seen you for months. You let us grieve. Why?

MARTIN: *laughing a little* Wow, that feels so strange. I couldn’t very well let you see me like that could I? I could barely handle what was happening to me, much less explain it to all of you. So I snuck out when the Institute opened in the morning. I went home. I just sat there trying to process it all. I could feel the new muscles and organs in my head. I wanted them gone, but I couldn’t bring myself to do anything about it. I would only be hurting myself. Nevertheless, I was not in a good place... I don’t really want to talk about it. But eventually the spiders started showing up. They kept me safe, in a way. I, uh, I started coming to terms. Slowly but surely, I got more in tune with my new... occupation. Nothing I could tell you about without being murdered for good. Just know that I have a handle on this now and I didn’t before, and you have nothing to fear from us. The Web and the Eye are allies, in a way. Do you guys have anything else you want to know?

THE ARCHIVIST: What can you do? What’s different besides those?

MARTIN: Well, like most avatars I have a better sense for the powers and their influences. I can tell when they own someone. My mind is also more strategic, I guess? When I walk into a room now I immediately have plans. How to get out, how to stop anyone if they try to kill me, how to avoid being seen. That sort of thing. My eyesight is also significantly better; I don’t even need my glasses anymore.

MELANIE: *blurting out* Are you alive?

MARTIN: What do you mean?

MELANIE: I mean... Are you breathing? Does your heart work? Or are you just in some sort of magic, freaky stasis?

MARTIN: I- I don’t know?

TIM: You didn’t think to check?!

BASIRA: Here let me.

*shuffling noise*

BASIRA: They taught us how to do this to make sure a victim was actually dead. Good skill to have. *pause* You’ve got a pulse, it’s just slow. Really slow. You do seem to be breathing, though.

MARTIN: So I guess the answer is “kinda”?

BASIRA: Are you going to come back here? Be an assistant?

MARTIN: I, er, well that sort of depends...

THE ARCHIVIST: *abruptly* Statement ends. I’d like to speak to Martin alone, if that’s alright.

*murmured assent*

TIM: Glad to have you back, Martin.

*a door opens and shuts. Jon and Martin are alone*

THE ARCHIVIST: What the hell is all of this? What do you want?

MARTIN: I wanted to see you-

THE ARCHIVIST: Oh yes, like you wanted to see me four months ago? You stood me up.

MARTIN: You think I wanted to miss that?! Jon, I’ve been mad about you for years but this *points* was a little more pressing! I needed time to sort it all out.

THE ARCHIVIST: Why are you here?

MARTIN: Don’t- don’t do that. I’ll tell you, but you don’t need to force me. I’m here with an offer. *long pause* Right. I’ve been in contact with others in the Web. They helped me get my bearings. We’ve determined that there’s a chance for an agreement of sorts between us and the Beholding.

THE ARCHIVIST: What sort of “agreement”?

MARTIN: The sort where I help you. Keep some eyes out *small chuckle*, help deal with threats, and... intimidate if necessary.

THE ARCHIVIST: Martin, you’re about as intimidating as a butterfly.

MARTIN: Really?

*soft flicking noise, Jon winces*

THE ARCHIVIST: Point taken. So you stick around, help us, in exchange for what?

MARTIN: Leniency. We don’t mess with you, you don’t mess with us. Maybe provide information if we really need it.

THE ARCHIVIST: What, just let you have free reign? Kill whoever you want?

MARTIN: Oh please, the Eye’s killed just as many as we have. I’m not involved in any of that, you know. There’s not much to be involved in. The taking of lives... I don’t have any control over that. It’s not all we do, though. You’ve seen how useful our traps can be. All I’m asking is that you don’t interfere with what we do. *long pause*  
You know there’s a reason my claiming manifested like this. Different shades of different colors, Jon. We’re close to each other in that sense. I want to help you. This is the only way I can.

THE ARCHIVIST: *long exhale* I don’t like how you say “we”. Like you’re not one of us anymore.

MARTIN: I’m not, exactly. But I want to try to be again. I missed you.

THE ARCHIVIST: I want to believe you, but how do I know you’re still yourself. Someone I can trust.

MARTIN: Jon, you know how I feel about you. I would never do anything to hurt you. Never. Nothing can change that.

THE ARCHIVIST: Alright. You have to give me something binding, prove you’re serious.

*pause*

THE ARCHIVIST: *his voice is very soft* Do you know how ancient pacts were sealed?

MARTIN: *equally soft* No, but I assume you’re going to show me...

*They kiss. It’s sweet*

THE ARCHIVIST: You’ll be around?

MARTIN: I hope so. Do you- do you still want that coffee?

THE ARCHIVIST: Maybe.

*tape recorder clicks off*  
*tape recorder clicks on*

ELIAS: Martin.  
*sharp movement*

MARTIN: Touch me again and I’ll kill you.

ELIAS: *laughs* That’s adorable, really. A couple new eyes and you think you can kill me? You know what I can do.

*silence. He knows.*

ELIAS: I know what you offered Jon. I know he accepted. He doesn’t have the authority to do that. You don’t have the authority to do that. What do you think you’re doing, speaking for entities beyond your comprehension? Do you really care about him that much?

MARTIN: You don’t scare me. I’m going to say this once, and you’re going to listen: Fuck. Off. I’ll do what I like.

ELIAS: You think you can speak to me like that?

MARTIN: Maybe you’re not as important as you thought. I was told to deal with Jon, not you. I’m- I’m not sure you’re getting what I’m saying. In this situation, you do not matter. You’re bound by the agreement whether you like it or not. Break it and I’ll personally make sure you die first.

*footsteps click*

ELIAS: ...Interesting.

*recorder clicks off*  
*recorder clicks on*

THE ARCHIVIST: Supplemental- That was... I don’t even know how to... I mean, I’m glad he’s back. Of course I’m glad he’s back. It’s just that he’s different. Before all of this he was so soft-spoken. Yes, he was always smart but he was never forthright about it. I can’t really begrudge him some confidence or frustration. He did die. But it makes me uneasy...  
And despite it all I still want to get coffee with him. I want something normal in all of this nonsense. I want to talk about everything with him and have someone who I want to be around who wants to be around me. I want him. If this is how I get to be around him... Well, so be it. It’s mutually beneficial. I can’t- he wouldn’t do anything to- The point is that I trust him even now. End Supplemental.

*recorder clicks off*

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know if you want to read more from this timeline!


End file.
